TY - JOUR AU - Wang, Shuai AU - Ye, Qianhong AU - Wang, Ke AU - Zeng, Xiangfang AU - Huang, Shuo AU - Yu, Haitao AU - Ge, Qing AU - Qi, Desheng AU - Qiao, Shiyan PY - 2019 DA - 2019/09/08 TI - Enhancement of Macrophage Function by the Antimicrobial Peptide Sublancin Protects Mice from Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus SP - 3979352 VL - 2019 AB - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the major pathogen responsible for community and hospital bacterial infections. Sublancin, a glucosylated antimicrobial peptide isolated from Bacillus subtilis 168, possesses antibacterial infective effects. In this study, we investigated the role and anti-infection mechanism of sublancin in a mouse model of MRSA-induced sublethal infection. Sublancin could modulate innate immunity by inducing the production of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and nitric oxide, enhancing phagocytosis and MRSA-killing activity in both RAW264.7 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages. The enhanced macrophage function by the peptide in vitro correlated with stronger protective activity in vivo in the MRSA-invasive sublethal infection model. Macrophage activation by sublancin was found to be partly dependent on TLR4 and the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, oral administration of sublancin increased the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes. The protective activity of sublancin was associated with in vivo augmenting phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and partly improving T cell-mediated immunity. Macrophages thus represent a potentially pivotal and novel target for future development of innate defense regulator therapeutics against S. aureus infection. SN - 2314-8861 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3979352 DO - 10.1155/2019/3979352 JF - Journal of Immunology Research PB - Hindawi KW - ER -